New Rules Give City Control

Hollywood Tightens Its Regulations On Adult Living Facilities

July 10, 1998|By PAULA McMAHON Staff Writer

Hollywood is tightening control over assisted living facilities for seniors in residential neighborhoods.

An ordinance change approved by the City Commission now requires, in areas with mostly single-family homes, that site plans for new adult congregate living facilities (ACLFs) be reviewed by the city. Also, residents living within 150 feet of the site must be notified.

It prohibits facilities for more than six residents in single-family neighborhoods, and any expansion of an existing small ACLF will be treated as a new application.

The centers are regulated by the state, which allows those with six or fewer beds to open in single-family home neighborhoods without the need for city government approval.

The state law takes precedence over local zoning rules, said City Attorney Jamie Cole. But the city has removed the previous blanket approval for homes that have less than six residents. New ones must now go before the Site Plan Review Committee and meet all city codes and regulations.

Cole said the new ordinance gives the city more tools to ensure code compliance, and that public opposition will not prevent such homes from opening.

The new ordinance comes several months after Hollywood Hills residents complained that they had not been notified about an adult home opening in their neighborhood.

George Keller, the city's director of developmental administration, said the city cannot prevent the homes from opening but it can try to lessen the impact they have on neighbors.

The new ordinance also requires adult congregate living facilities to:

* Prove they have a sufficient number of toilets.

* Install swimming pool safety barriers.

* Prove they have adequate supervision of residents.

* Prohibit senior day care in the congregate homes.

* Prohibit outdoor signage in single-family home areas.

John Gibbs, a Hollywood Hills resident, told the commission that his civic association thinks the new ordinance is a positive move.

``We think it will help the neighborhood to maintain its residential character,'' Gibbs said.

Commissioner Cathy Anderson, who was very concerned when a facility opened within 100 feet of her home, said she thinks it is important that neighborhoods be notified.

By law, all congregate living facilities must be inspected by fire officials. Vice Mayor Dick Blattner suggested Fire Chief Herminio Lorenzo provide a list of the homes his department inspects so that it can be cross-checked with the city's official list.

Congregate living facilities for six or fewer people are still permitted to open without site plan review in multiple-family districts. They are not permitted in commercial, office or industrial and manufacturing districts.